Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk suggested she was keen to start negotiations to host the grand final again, saying the door was “always open” to the NRL.
“There’s always this argy-bargy leading up to a grand finale,” she said in Townsville on Wednesday.
“We will always have an open mind if New South Wales is not able to put that final on.”
V’landys was speaking at the unveiling of a suite of prizemoney increases for thoroughbred races in NSW, before quickly turning the blowtorch back on the NSW government.
The NRL believed they had an understanding with Perrottet for suburban stadiums at Brookvale, Cronulla and Leichhardt to be upgraded in response to the government scrapping an $800 million redevelopment of Accor Stadium, the country’s largest rectangular sporting venue.
Peter V’landys speaks at a Racing NSW press conference in Sydney on Wednesday.Credit:Rhett Wyman
He even took a swipe at the usefulness of the new Sydney Football Stadium, which is due to open next month when the Roosters and Rabbitohs play in the final round of the NRL’s regular season. I have described the $800 million build as “unnecessary”.
“It’s a 42,000-seat stadium,” V’landys said. “You’re going to get your honeymoon period for the next few weeks where it’s going to be full, but after that it’s going to be 10,000 or 15,000 [crowds].
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“They could have used that $1 billion and built suburban stadiums elsewhere. We want the money invested in suburban areas where they’re multipurpose facilities.”
Asked about his grand final threat, V’landys said: “One thing you’ll learn from me, I don’t bluff.”
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Maroons star Ben Hunt is not short of suitors amid reports the Gold Coast Titans are ready to launch an audacious bid for his services.
news corp revealed that the Titans are considering a play to lure the Dragons captain north to from the 2023 season.
The Titans are believed to be one of six clubs trying to acquire Hunt’s services from at least the 2024 campaign.
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MORE NRL NEWS
‘DONE 100’: Roosters star Keary’s confession reveals NRL big hip-drop problem
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STADIUM WARS: NRL’s $800m threat to NSW govt over stadium funding backflip
But considering he doesn’t come off contract with the Dragons until the end of next season, the Titans will have to wait until November 1st to submit an official offer.
It was reported last week that Hunt was set to sign a two-year contract extension with St George until the end of 2025.
“We have started the process to extend Ben, and we’re very hopeful we can keep him at the club long-term,” St George Illawarra chief executive Ryan Webb said.
Madge’s take on Tigers coaching plan | 02:04
“He is an important person on the field and has a tremendous impact off it.”
Hunt, who was leading the Dally M race before the count behind closed doors, signed a
mammoth five-year deal worth more than $5 million with the Dragons in 2017.
The 32-year-old has proven himself to be one of the premier players in the competition since, after starring in State of Origin again this year.
The party was well and truly on in Queensland as Hunt ran away for a long-range, game-winning try in the Origin decider in Brisbane last month.
But considering his age, it’s believed that he could commit to a smaller deal.
If Hunt does sign with the Titans, he would potentially line-up in the halves alongside another key signing in Kieran Foran.
The New Zealand international has signed a two-year deal which is reportedly worth $400,000 per season.
Dragons captain Ben Hunt is reportedly eyeing a move to the Gold Coast Titans. (Photo by Ian Hitchcock/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
Before entering contract negotiations, Hunt revealed that he was happy playing under the “right coach” in Anthony Griffin at the Dragons.
“It’s no secret I enjoy being coached by Hook (Anthony Griffin),” Hunt said.
“I know we’ve had some setbacks for the past two games, but we’ve got the right foundation in place – and we have the right coach.
“I’m loving my time at the club and enjoying myself. I know I’m also getting to the back end of my career and want to win (a premiership).
“My manager will meet with the club next week so we’ll see what happens. I still think I’ve got at least three years of footy in me. I’m contracted for next year, and I’d like another two after that.
“I’ve been lucky with injuries. I don’t see why I can’t go until at least the end of 2025.”
Carrigan cops 4-game ban for tackle | 02:14
RABBITOHS SET TO LAUNCH BID FOR MANLY ENFORCER
The South Sydney Rabbitohs have reportedly entered the race to secure Sea Eagles’ prop Martin Taupau’s signature for the dawn of the 2023 season.
According to Zero Tackle, the club believe that Taupau would be a suitable replacement for departing prop Mark Nicholls, who will join the Dolphins for their inaugural season.
The Bunnies are reportedly set to table the 32-year-old a two-year contract which will see him at South Sydney until the end of the 2024 season.
The Eels were close to locking in Taupau for the rest of the season, however the Sea Eagles chose to wart the move in a last ditch attempt at securing a spot in the top eight come finals time.
If Taupau is to link up with the Rabbitohs for the 2023 season he would he would add to the club’s depth in the forwards joining the likes of Thomas Burgess, Liam Knight, Tevita Tatola, Davvy Moale and Daniel Suluka-Fifita.
With the Manly prop now in the latter stages of his career, a two-year deal with South Sydney could very well be his last in the NRL.
While the Dolphins have expressed an interest in Taupau, the experienced prop ideally wants to play for a club based in Sydney.
The NRL are holding the NSW government to ransom over an $800 million promise by taking the Grand Final to Queensland as the Sydney stadium wars potentially head to the courtroom.
The Sydney Morning Herald reported the NRL will consider all options after NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet refused to commit funding to rebuild suburban stadiums after a handshake agreement, with flood reconstruction his main priority.
“I find it appalling that they’re using human tragedy of the floods to renege on an agreement,” V’landys, told the Herald.
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Perrottet’s decision sparked an angry confrontation with V’landys in Parliament, with the NRL now resorting to tactics that could lead to a legal battle over the future of Stadium Australia at Sydney Olympic Park.
A 2018 agreement reached by the then premier Gladys Berejiklian, stipulated the NRL grand final would stay in Sydney until 2042 as long as Accor Stadium at Olympic Park was reconfigured into a 70,000-seat rectangular stadium, which would cost taxpayers $800 million.
However, the pandemic caused the government to backflip on the plan and relocate between $250 to $350 million to upgrading suburban grounds in Cronulla, Manly, Leichhardt and Newcastle.
Leichhardt Oval will have to wait for redevelopment.Source: Supplied
While the plans to develop suburban grounds is not in writing and therefore not rubber-stamped, V’landys is adamant the original Sydney Olympic Park agreement still stands.
The Herald reported that V’landys and the NRL will now hold the government to their original Olympic Park agreement, which is in writing, despite their preference being to develop suburban grounds.
MORE NRL NEWS
‘DONE 100’: Roosters star Keary’s confession reveals NRL big hip-drop problem
‘AT A TIPPING POINT’: Knights at a crossroads, O’Brien feels for running ‘soft ship’
VERDICT: Broncos star cops four-game ban for controversial hip-drop tackle
TEAMS: Manly young gun dumped; Bellamy’s big Storm reshuffle
Andrew Abdo the Chief Executive Officer of the National Rugby League and Peter V’landys the Chairman.Source: Getty Images
“When you consider the billions of dollars they spent in the recent budget, the amount they need to honor our agreement is insignificant,” V’landy’s said.
“We will press that they honor the original agreement, which will cost the NSW taxpayer more due to the way they have handled this.”
The NRL are exploring its legal options and have one of the country’s most respected barristers, Alan Sullivan QC on the case.
Perrottet released a statement saying the government were committed to upgrading suburban stadiums over a period of time, given the natural disasters and pandemic that remain a more pressing priority.
“The government has just received the Floods Inquiry Report, which will likely require a significant cost to the taxpayer, and I note right now there are still 1,366 people without a home in NSW due to flooding,” Perrottet said.
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NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet.Source: News Corp Australia
“It should come as no surprise that my top priority is therefore supporting those devastated by the major floods across NSW.”
The development has forced the NRL to consider taking the Grand Final to Queensland in response to the NSW government failing to honor their agreement.
“Everything is now back on the table,” V’landys said.
“It will be a board decision, not mine.”
Sports Minister Stuart Ayres labeled plans to take the Grand Final to Queensland “an extraordinary move”.
“We’ve got to make sure that we make investments that are in the best interests of the people of NSW,” Ayres said.
Madge’s take on Tigers coaching plan | 02:04
“It just might mean that we have to wait a little bit longer before we can spend additional money on those venues.”
The government will put on hold plans to develop Leichhardt and Newcastle stadiums, but are committed to a new venue at Penrith, which has angered Tigers chairman Lee Hagipantelis, who blasted the government for their change of policy on developing suburban stadiums.
“The government’s management of its stadiums policy from the outset has been amateurish and embarrassing,” Hagipantelis told the Herald.
“I assume if the state government is to backflip on its commitment to fund suburban stadiums, then the $300 million committed to the Penrith stadium can now be better utilized for schools and hospitals?
“It would be outrageous for Penrith to retain its stadium for the obvious political benefit of its local member.”
That’s how everyone was left feeling after one of the best advertisements you could see for 3×3 basketball.
It was the type of finish that keeps your heart racing long after the full-time siren has gone.
England’s men rode an incredible wave of home crowd support to beat Australia in overtime, 17-16.
Australia’s men claim wheelchair basketball gold
The four gold medal matches played out in fast and furious fashion at Smithfield, and Australia’s 3×3 men’s wheelchair basketball team started off with a tense match against Canada.
Lachlin Dalton (left) was again on form to help Australia to an 11-9 win.(Getty Images: Justin Setterfield)
A day after shooting a two-pointer in overtime to beat England in the semis, youngster Lachlin Dalton was again on form to help the Australians to an 11-9 win.
“It’s been a bit surreal coming out playing well for the country and just to help be part of a gold medal, the first of its kind, there’s just something special,” Dalton said.
“To come out and play like we did, have the camaraderie that we did all week, it’s definitely been my favorite week away.”
‘I am Birmingham’: Local hero leads physical fight
In the men’s decider, it was a street ball shootout of the highest quality.
After an intense, physical showdown, where both sides racked up the fouls, it went to overtime where the first team to score two points would win.
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After Australia scored first, Birmingham’s own Myles Hesson got himself in two-point range, and swoosh, the capacity crowd exploded.
“I have played basketball in every corner of Birmingham,” Hesson said.
“This is where I used to catch the bus, just here. This is where I went to the markets with my gran. I am from Birmingham. I am Birmingham.”
“I don’t know how they all got tickets, but there are a lot of people in this stadium rooting for me. I could hear every last one of them.”
Australia’s Greg Hire, meanwhile, said he was proud of the way the Australian team had fought out the match.
“To go down in a game winning shot to a super talented side in front of the home crowd, I’m immensely proud,” Hire said.
“But [it’s a] pretty tough feeling right now.”
“It’s just a privilege to play in front of a crowd like that,” Jesse Wagstaff added.
“Birmingham’s done a great job of putting on a fantastic show.”
Hire played the match with a torn groin and was the ultimate street-fighter, scrapping and jostling, and attracting plenty of attention from the referees — Australia ended up with 11 team fouls and England nine.
Greg Hire says he will retire from international competition, and wants to see more investment in 3×3 basketball. (AAP Photos: Darren England)
“That’s the reason why we love it right? It’s not traditional five and five, and it’s tough,” Hire said.
“Obviously the refs swallowed their whistle towards the end of the game, which is a shame, but that’s the style, that’s 3×3 basketball. I think that’s why it’s a sport that as you can see, everyone loves.”
After making its debut at last year’s Tokyo Olympics, Hire, one of Australia’s most experienced players in the short format, says he’s retiring from international competition, and wants to see more investment in it.
“We don’t get paid to play 3×3, we don’t get per diem like the Boomers. You’re doing for the love of the game and for the love of the country,” he said.
“What we’re seeing is the first step. In the past, and don’t disrespect the players that played before us, but it’s guys that specialize in 3×3.
“We need to put some respect, raise the profile. Hopefully those NBL guys that aren’t in the Boomers will play for us.”
Women’s teams win minor medals
The women’s wheelchair team couldn’t bring its best against Canada, going down 14-5.
Australia’s women beat New Zealand 15-13 to win the wheelchair bronze.(Getty Images: Justin Setterfield)
“A silver medal is a bit bittersweet, but I’m so proud of our girls,” Australia’s Ella Sabljak said.
“We’ve come from literally nothing, we’ve had no expectations, and that was probably our worst game we played the entire tournament, so I know we’re better than that.”
Australia’s women beat New Zealand 15-13 to win the bronze medal, and Canada’s women downed England 14-13 to claim gold.
While most Cowboys will be in unfamiliar territory during Sunday’s clash at Bundaberg’s Salter Oval, forward Coen Hess will be right at home.
The Bulldogs and Cowboys will both travel more than 1000km this week to bring the first ever NRL game to the Queensland coastal city, but Hess will be playing in front of a ‘home crowd’.
Born in Bundaberg, the Townsville second rower will be expecting just “a few proud Hess”” among the crowd on Sunday with his younger brother set to feature in the local derby curtain-raiser.
“Funnily enough my little brother is playing a semi-final before us so it’ll be a good occasion for the family,” Hess told NRL.com after Sunday’s win over the Dragons.
Coen Hess during the Maroons fan day at Bundaberg last year.
“I played my first year of rugby league for The Waves Junior Rugby League Club before we moved to Mt Isa when I was eight.
“Salter Oval is where my dad played all of his football career and why I play rugby league is following in my dad’s footsteps so I’m sure there will be a few proud Hess’ there on Sunday.”
With a carnival atmosphere guaranteed to bring the country oval alive on Sunday, the Queensland Origin representative is expecting to hear a familiar voice among the Cowboys supporters.
“My nan has been a diehard Cowboys supporter even before I started playing for the club so she has been excited for this weekend for a long time,” he said.
“My little brother actually lives with my nan in Bundaberg and I know she’s pretty proud of us.
“She comes up occasionally to Townsville and has been there for a few Origin games as well. Ella she’s a wonderful lady and she’ll probably be the loudest supporter there which is usually the case.
With the likes of Josh Addo-Carr and Matt Burton also set to descend on country soil, Hess is prepared for a tough match against the in–form Bulldogs who will be looking to cause a few more upsets in the final rounds of the Telstra Premiership. regular season.
“I’m expecting a really big game, they’re obviously playing a really good brand of footy at the moment,” he said.
“They’ve got some big boys through the middle who are really destructive and they can offload to some pretty impressive young outside backs as well.
“We’re under no illusion that they’re on the bottom of the ladder but the way they’re playing at the moment suggests that they’re a really good side.”
With the Cowboys currently sitting second on the ladder with five weeks until finals, the 25-year-old forward said he hopes the Round 21 clash will help promote the game where his own rugby league journey began.
“It’s not only huge for the town to host these games but it’s really good for the game as well, taking it to these smaller communities,” he said.
“I love it, I think building the game in those regional communities is a great idea and you can see it means the world to them as well so I think it’s just great for everyone involved.
“I get back there every second Christmas, nan and my uncle usually fly up to us and then we return the favor every other Christmas and it’s always a great trip to Bundaberg.”
The NRL has been labeled embarrassing for their explanation as to why Storm star Nelson Asofa-Solomona escaped sanction for cracking Wayde Egan’s teeth with his elbow.
Asofa-Solomona was not even charged by the match review committee, despite being placed on report and penalized on the field for slamming his elbow and forearm onto the face of Egan as he fell to the ground in a tackle.
“There were a lot of incidents over the weekend with the Nelson Asofa-Solomona one the most contentious by a long way,” Braith Anasta said on NRL 360.
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“What I struggle to come to terms with is I saw a head clash (Dale Finucane on Stephen Crichton) last week get two weeks and I see this and he gets nothing.”
Paul Kent blasted the NRL’s feeble explanation by disputing all three assertions they made around Asofa-Solomona’s actions.
“Let me just bring up some things,” Kent said.
Big Nelson drops dodgy elbow? | 00:40
“They said, there is a separation out there. If I am going to punch you in the face right now, there is going to be separation at some point between my fist and your face before it gets there, but there will be eventual contact. That’s the first thing.
“Second, there was not enough force to warrant a charge. I have cracked his teeth. Two teeth. So not enough force to warrant a charge?
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‘VERY FEW LIVE BY 10 COMMANDMENTS’: Anonymous player blasts Manly seven
Nelson Asofa-Solomona was placed on report and penalized but escaped a charge.Source: Supplied
“Third, there was possible contact to the neck and chin area. Again, I cracked his teeth.
“What part of head contact do they not understand there. If you have got cracked teeth from a tackle, how do you say there is not enough force and possible contact to the neck or chin area?”
Paul Crawley labeled Luke Patten and Graham Annesley’s explanation as the dumbest thing ever to come out of NRL HQ in a stunning take-down.
“That’s the dumbest explanation that I have ever heard come out of the NRL from Luke Patten,” Crawley said.
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Nelson Asofa-Solomona escaped sanction for his tackle on Wayde Egan.Source: FOX SPORTS
“For Graham Annesley, a bloke that has been around the game for as long as he has to stand there and allow that to be said and expect that everyone is just going to suck that up and accept it.
“Like seriously it is so embarrassing. They have got to be better.
“That was a shocking tackle. Jared Waerea-Hargreaves got a $3000 fine for his tackle on Zac Fulton. It wasn’t as bad as this.
“This gets off. This doesn’t even get to fine. This gets nothing.
“And this is on the back of Asofa-Solomona having two separate charges last week. Two ends. The week before in Round 18 another one. Earlier in the season another one.
“That’s four ends this year and this one gets nothing.”
Broncos forward Patrick Carrigan has been suspended for four matches after he was found guilty of making dangerous contact in an ugly hip-drop tackle that fractured Jackson Hastings’ right fibula and damaged his syndesmosis during Saturday evening’s game at Suncorp Stadium.
Carrigan was referred straight to the judiciary for the tackle that Hastings has seen wiped out for the rest of the season.
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Hastings writhed in agony after he was held up by Broncos pair Cory Paix and Keenan Palasia, before Carrigan leant his weight to the tackle around the hips and landed on his opponent’s right foot.
Post-match, Tigers interim coach Brett Kimmorley called the tackle “horrendous.”
On a dramatic night at the judiciary, the NRL’s lawyer had asked for a ban of five to six matches to make an example of Carrigan while defense counsel Nick Ghabar had pushed for two weeks.
The panel of Dallas Johnson and Henry Perenara reached a unanimous decision that Carrigan’s actions had put Hastings in a vulnerable decision and that the penalty would act as a deterrent to other players.
“I’m very grateful to Nick and the NRL for a fair hearing,” Carrigan said.
“I’m a little bit disappointed with the result.
“I certainly didn’t have any attempt or malice in what happened, but I’m also aware that Jackson is going to miss a bit of footy. I wish him all the best with his recovery from him.
“My focus is to be as supportive as I can for the Broncos for the next four weeks.”
The Wally Lewis Medal winner from State of Origin made the trip to Sydney but didn’t give evidence at the hearing.
Instead, five angles of Carrigan’s tackle and a similar tackle by Dragons forward Josh McGuire against the Storm in Round 10 last year were used primarily during the case.
McGuire was hit with a grade three charge under the game’s old judicial code and was banned for five matches, although he did have carry-over points which added to his penalty.
The tackle on Melbourne’s Josh Addo-Carr did not result in serious injury, although the winger was forced from the field for seven minutes.
NRL judicial counsel Patrick Knowles referred to a memo sent by NRL head of football Graham Annesley to all 16 clubs on July 21, 2020 where he warned players about the hip-drop tackle that had started to creep into the game.
Knowles said that Carrigan’s tackle had all the same “hallmarks” and that it involved the dropping of weight from the hips and the trapping and twisting Hastings’ legs which created an obvious risk of injury.
Knowles asked the judiciary panel to suspend Carrigan for five to six games, pointing to the fact that Hastings required surgery to insert a plate and screws and that he would miss three to five months of footy as a result.
While he didn’t want “eye for an eye” retribution, he argued that Carrigan’s high level of force and carelessness should be punished severely.
Ghabar said his client only served a two-week ban given he showed contrition, had done everything in his power to actually limit the risk of injury on Saturday night and had only been charged twice during his 62-game career.
He pointed to a medical report from a third-party doctor that said the injury was exacerbated by the other tacklers pushing from the top, which twisted Hastings into a dangerous position and added weight to the tackle.
Ghabar said that it was a lot different to McGuire who landed directly on Addo-Carr’s foot and argued that the Dragons forward was reckless and that his actions bordered on intentional.
He went further, saying there were “mitigating factors” from the other two tacklers who twisted Hastings into a dangerous position while Carrigan actually “arched his back” to relive pressure on the foot.
Carrigan will be free to return in Round 25 when the Broncos play the Dragons.
Kyle Chalmers said it took all his strength and courage to win his third gold medal at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham in the men’s 100m freestyle.
It wasn’t his fastest swim, but he said it was “bigger than just me racing”.
“It’s very, very bittersweet. It’s been the most-challenging, probably 48 hours of my swimming career,” Chalmers said.
“And, as much as it’s nice to win, it’s probably just a big sense of relief, rather than the satisfaction that I thought I’d feel and want to feel after a performance like that.”
Chalmers has been the center of intense scrutiny over his personal life, and it came to a head at the Sandwell Aquatics Center a couple of nights ago, where he faced more questioning over unsourced rumors about rifts in the team after winning the men’s 4x100m freestyle relay .
The 24-year-old considered walking away, and admitted he barely slept ahead of the 100m freestyle heats.
But I have pushed on to send a message.
Gold medalist Kyle Chalmers sent a message to the media after weeks of intense scrutiny.(AP: Kirsty Wigglesworth)
“I’ve definitely had big battles with mental health over a long time, and it’s one of the most-challenging things that I’ve had to face and see my teammates face and family face,” he said.
“I think it’s important that people have the courage to stand up and speak about it.
“I’ve been around for a while and I need to create the conversation and try to help people going through similar things and just make it more normal.
“If I can be a positive influence and try to help people in the same struggles, I know that I’m doing my job in the sport and hopefully inspiring people.”
Chalmers was also racing for a special viewer back home.
His brother is in the army and hasn’t had access to his phone, but he was given special permission to watch the race.
“He’s my best mate, someone I haven’t got to speak to a lot over this last little period. And the only reason I was able to have the strength to get back in the pool yesterday for the heat was FaceTiming my brother the night before,” Chalmers said.
“I think, for me, it’s going to be a while to break down what’s just happened,” he added.
“I’m very, very grateful for all the support I’ve had at home, and it’s been very overwhelming how many people have reached out to me and so many high-profile people as well who fight similar battles in their sports or respective fields.”
Kyle’s father, Brett Chalmers, spoke to Mix 102.3 Adelaide after the 100m freestyle medal win, and said Swimming Australia does not do enough to protect athletes from invasive media questioning.
“They failed hugely,” he told the Ali Clarke Breakfast Show.
“To me, it’s the workplace. They’ve got a due diligence to look after their people and their staff and their athletes right from the start.”
The former AFL player became emotional when he was asked about the media furore surrounding his son’s Birmingham campaign.
“If it was in [another] workplace and you kept getting asked the same question over and over and over again, it’s a form of bullying and harassment,” Brett Chalmers said through tears.
“It’s not condoned and it’s not accepted. You’d be pulled into the manager’s office or HR’s office pretty fast and if you didn’t stop you’d probably lose your job.
“These people get away with it. They destroy people’s lives and livelihoods.
A Suns star is still off-contract—and the Crows are preparing to pounce.
Plus the intriguing contract situation surrounding a young Magpies forward.
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CROWS KEEPING TABS ON SUNS STAR
Adelaide is making a major play for homegrown forward Izak Rankine in what would be one of the biggest coups of this year’s trade period.
Gold Coast officials have long been confident of retaining Rankine after already re-signing fellow South Australian Jack Lukosius, as well as Ben King, Ben Ainsworth, Elijah Hollands and Mac Andrew.
The Suns are also expected to soon ink Lachie Weller on a four-year contract.
Rankine, who was drafted from SANFL club West Adelaide with the No. 3 pick in the talent-laden 2018 class, is out of contract at season’s end but is not a free agent.
The Crows would likely need to part with their first-round draft selection, which is currently No. 4 after their weekend win over Carlton, if they convince Rankine to leave, but that may be only the start of what was required.
However, the 22-year-old’s contract status, and the possible threat of Adelaide grabbing him in the pre-season draft, could complicate any potential negotiations.
Izak Rankin of the Suns. Picture: Russell FreemanSource: Getty Images
The Blues did exactly that with ex-Gold Coast footballer Jack Martin three years ago after discussions between the clubs broke down, heavily front-ending his deal to ward off other suitors.
Essendon already made a lucrative pitch to Rankine’s management this year to try to lure him to Victoria, with the young star’s career-best season catching rivals’ attention.
His agent, Garry Winter, of W Sports and Media, was previously on Adelaide’s board, and it could be worth up to $800,000 per season for Rankine to become a Crow on a long-term deal.
Rankine’s three-goal performance against West Coast on Sunday was his seventh match with multiple majors in 2022, along with averaging 14 disposals and six score involvements.
He would be a significant upgrade on rebuilding Adelaide’s small forward corps and could form a deadly duo with last year’s first-round draftee Josh Rachele.
Rachele’s 17 goals rank fourth at the Crows – behind tall targets Taylor Walker (42) and Darcy Fogarty (22), as well as spring-heeled forward Shane McAdam (18) – while Ned McHenry and James Rowe have each kicked only 10.
They sit in the bottom four on the ladder and for scoring, so Rankine would provide an excellent boost ahead of a season where Matthew Nicks’ team hopes to take a leap.
Suns keep finals hope alive | 01:25
Adelaide’s list management team met with Melbourne goals neak Kade Chandler, another South Australian, during last year’s trade period before he decided to stay at the Demons.
The Crows were linked with Western Bulldogs midfielder Josh Dunkley for many months but it’s now believed Port Adelaide would be the South Australian club he would join if he left the Kennel.
Dunkley’s girlfriend, Tippah Dwan, plays netball for the Adelaide Thunderbirds.
Asked last week about the delay in Rankine re-signing, Gold Coast coach Stuart Dew said they were “still confident” he would be at the club in 2023.
“There’s always a process. Things happen at different rates and different speeds,” Dew said.
“A number of contracts we’ve done have actually taken longer, so as long as the conversations are happening, that’s where the confidence comes from.
“It’s when it goes quiet (that you get concerned), and it’s certainly not like that – the dialogue’s still there.”
—NCA Newswire
HENRY, PIES ‘NOT OVERLY CLOSE’ TO FRESH CONTRACT
Collingwood and young forward Ollie Henry are “not overly close” on signing a new deal, but both parties remain confident a contract will be signed soon, reports SEN’s Sam Edmund.
Henry has had a promising yet rollercoaster 2022 season with the Magpies so far, booting 21.15 from 14 games. He started as the sub against Freo in Round 10 but came on to kick 4.1, while he was the unused medical sub against the Adelaide Crows in Round 18 and has spent the past two weekends in the VFL, booting 4.2 and 3.1 respectively.
The 20-year-old is uncontracted beyond this season. In May I told AFL Media he wasn’t in a rush to sign a new contract but declared he was “loving his time at Collingwood”.
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Edmund reported on SEN Breakfast on Tuesday that talks between Henry’s management and the Magpies were ongoing, adding they’d met “in the last week or two”.
“Not overly close at this stage at Collingwood, but I think this one gets worked out. Both parties expect that to be the case,” Edmund told SEN Breakfast.
“The Pies want him to stay and Henry wants to stay, but with (Dan) McStay coming in there’s some things to work out around what his future looks like on game day.”
“I think they’ll get there, no real reason to think otherwise at this stage. It just needs to be worked through with the pieces coming back the other way like Dan McStay and the like.”
Melbourne champion Garry Lyon says it’s no surprise an infamous pre-season camp “destroyed” Adelaide after reading Eddie Betts’ confronting recollection of his experience.
An excerpt from Betts’ upcoming autobiography, ‘The Boy from Boomerang Crescent’, was released on Monday night via The Age in which the triple All-Australian labeled the camp “weird” and “completely disrespectful”.
Several players, including Betts, and officials departed the club in the years following the pre-season leadership camp, which foxfooty.com.au revealed details of in March that year.
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In the most damning first-hand account of the 2018 camp yet, Betts claimed private details shared in a counseling session during the camp were misused, while sensitive Aboriginal cultural rituals were misappropriated.
“There was all sorts of weird shit that was disrespectful to many cultures, but particularly and extremely disrespectful to my culture,” he wrote.
Betts also wrote he was told he would “come back a better husband and father, a better teammate” after the camp – terms veteran players Taylor Walker and Rory Sloane used when defending the four-day event.
speaking on SEN Breakfast on Wednesday morning, Lyon said he was stunned by Betts’ account, but added it provided important context as to the turmoil that followed at the Crows.
Rory Sloane and Eddie Betts during an Adelaide Crows game in 2019. Picture: Scott BarbourSource: Getty Images
“When you read those words from Eddie, there is no debate about how it impacted on him. He talks about the Indigenous players, the cultural differences or sensitivities that he were not adhered to. That’s Eddie … and that’s unequivocal, right? You can’t argue with any of that,” Lyon told SEN Breakfast.
“And then you read this from Taylor Walker: ‘The camp that we went on as a footy club, personally I found one of the most beneficial and rewarding camps I’ve ever been on as an individual. I encourage any of my mates, family members to do the same. Our footy club, like most other AFL clubs, are trying to get an edge over (other teams).’ Rory Sloane: ‘I can speak about what I got out of it personally. I absolutely 100 per cent came back from that camp feeling like a better husband, a better son and a much better teammate than when I was before. For me, the experience was unbelievable.’
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“Now, clearly, everyone’s own experiences have been caught up in this and from an Indigenous point of view, a lot of it since Eddie said that cultural sensitivities weren’t adhered to – and that is very, very real.
“In the end, it was untenable. We talk about the atmosphere and environment … take apart who you agree with and you don’t agree with, the fact of the matter is it split the club down the middle. When you get the Sloane’s and the Walker’s, who have their recollection, and then you’ve got Eddie and others I would imagine… no wonder it destroyed that joint.
“You’ve got a section of the football club – and I’m not just putting this at the feet of Walker and Sloane, there may be others in the same boat – saying ‘I got so much out of this, it was good ‘. And then on the other hand, right at the other end of the scale, you’ve got ‘no, it ripped me apart, it ripped my relationship apart’. No wonder then from a footy club point of view and trying to stay together and on the same page, it ended up where it was.”
Eddie Betts was a star for the Crows. Picture: James ElsbySource: Getty Images
Essendon legend Tim Watson said he was shocked by the claims of cultural insensitivities during the camp.
“Given what they did at that camp you would think the planning that went into that – as part of that planning from a football club perspective – they would’ve said to these guys: ‘OK, what is it that you’re planning to do?’ And you would expect them to outline all the different areas that they were going to go, how they were going to go about it, what their objectives were – all those sorts of things,” Watson told SEN Breakfast.
“So you would think somewhere in there, there would be somebody representing the Adelaide Crows and there would be somebody there as part of the Adelaide Crows group who would understand the cultural sensitivities for some of those Indigenous players if they were to present the camp in the way that it was obviously presented. At that point, you would think somebody would say ‘no, you are going into territory now that we shouldn’t venture into’.”
Lyon said Betts’ belief his private details he shared were then misused during the camp was a “betrayal”.
“I’m just reading the excerpt, so I haven’t read the whole book. But if you are told, whether you’re black or white or otherwise, ‘these camp people want to speak to you and they say to step aside from everyone else privately and we want you to have a conversation where you are open and vulnerable’ … And I go ‘OK. In terms of building me as a better player and a leader, I’ll share and I’ll give you these really sensitive things that, to me, are important’. Then to have that thrown back in my face, that’s not cultural for me,” Lyon said.
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“How it affects me and someone else might be different based on culture, but that’s a betrayal for me.”
After kicking 310 goals across six seasons with Adelaide, Betts was traded back to Carlton at the end of 2019 to finish his career.
Four-time Power best and fairest winner Kane Cornes dubbed Betts one of the two most popular players to ever represent Adelaide alongside Tony Modra. So for Cornes, to “read how he was treated by his own football club – of which he is an icon of – that was the saddest part for me”.
Cornes said he would be fascinated by how the Crows, as well as South Australian media personalities, would respond to the Betts book.
“The question is, all of the people who have defended the camp and have said nothing went on… what do they do now?” I have asked on SEN SA Breakfast.
“How are they going to deal with that? Because we do now have a ‘blow-by-blow account’, which is pretty harrowing that your second or most popular player in the club’s history was treated like an animal, really, on this camp.”
Cornes added: “There’s a lot of egg on the face from Crows supporters, from the footy club and a few players that were there.”
